New to hunting in Washington

[Atroxus]

I am going to learn to hunt this year and am looking for some info/advice. I am in my mid 30s now, and have wanted to learn how to hunt since I was a kid, just never had the opportunity. I plan on getting my hunting license this January. I have taken the online exam, and just need to take the skill and attitude evaluation portions of the hunter safety class now. I have zero hunting experience though. I have been reading up online. I have also tried picking the brains of people I run into at local ranges and gun shops but the information I get this way has been pretty minimal. I don't think I have BO, or an abrasive personality, but I have not had much luck in getting people to chat with me about hunting. I got one guy to chat for a good 45 minutes about .22 rifles and target shooting, but he doesn't hunt.

I have a Marlin 60 that I am planning to use on small game to start, with the hopes of buying a .30-06 in time for deer/elk season. My plan is to start out hunting squirrels, rabbits, and raccoons until big game time. I figure this will get me some experience in the woods, and while hunting the small critters I am hoping to scout out potential spots to hunt deer/elk when those seasons come. I am mainly interested in hunting things I can eat, and that can be hunted outside of deer/elk season for now. According to the WDFW web site squirrels, and european rabbits are open year round for hunting, and cottontail, snowshoe hares, raccoons are open till mid march. I am hoping some people here will have some advice/pointers to help me get started. I also have no idea where to start looking for animals to hunt. I live in Marysville and am hoping maybe somone can tell me some areas where I might have some success finding small game within a few hours drive. Also if there are any other edible critters that could be hunted with a .22 I am open to suggestions on that as well. I am not really interested in bird hunting though since I don't own a shotgun, and will be saving all my spare change towards deer/elk rifle this year.

I am also curious about the edibility of certain animals. Just about everyone I talked to that has eaten it says that rabbit is tasty, so I feel pretty good about hunting those. I am gettign mixed messages though about squirrels, and very little at all about raccoons or any other small game. From what I read online squirrels are supposed to be pretty tasty if prepared properly. I have had several people tell me not to hunt squirrels in washington though because they "eat trash". I am wondering if I get far enough into the woods to not be getting "city squirrel" if the trash eating would be less of an issue? Same for raccoons; according to internet they are tasty, but the few people I got to comment in Washington have said "You don't want to hunt those, they eat trash." Anyone here eat washington squirrels and/or raccoons? If so how do they taste, and how far into the woods do you have to go to avoid the trash eaters?

 

[Buzzcook]

You're going to miss the 2010 elk season. Not a big deal cause you've got lots of years left.

Squirrels do taste good, they are easy to clean to. It's probably against the law to discharge a firearm in Marysville, so shooting city varmints isn't a concern.

Basically head up to the woods East and North of you and spend time at dawn and dusk wandering around.

Read the DF&W rules about what animals you can and cannot shoot. Keep an eye out for crows and similar animals on which there are no restrictions.

Basically what you eat is up to you and your sense of adventure. I can say that rabbit and squirrel taste real good, possum tastes pretty funky and deer tastes great. imho you should rethink bird hunting cause wild fowl is pretty darn good stuff.

Deer hunting you have two choices, blacktail and mule deer. Find where they are in the off season. When hunting season comes around set of a tree stand or a blind and wait till they wander by.
The further East you go the less competition you'll find for mule deer.
Blacktail are all over the wet side and finding a small one isn't that difficult. Finding a big blacktail is not easy. The area around Marblemount has been pretty good for my wife's family. That's close to you.

If you can afford it you might consider a guided hunt. You'll learn more in one hunt than in several years of DIY hunting.
http://www.icicleoutfitters.com/hunting.html

 

[dmazur]

Not trying to throw a wet blanket, but I don't think there is a squirrel season in Washington State. At least, squirrels aren't listed in the regulations. Raccoon, rabbits, grouse, crows, coyotes, etc. but no squirrels.

Except around the South Sound area, where oak trees got imported for some reason, I haven't really seen gray squirrels. Lots of ground squirrels, Douglas squirrels, and similar "chipmunk" types but no grays.

I grew up on the East Coast (upstate NY) and squirrel hunting was quite common. I miss it, I suppose.

+1 to outfitters. At least consider having one set you up on an "unguided hunt". This usually means a decent map, some local knowledge, and so on. Eastern Washington is a lot easier to hunt, IMO. More open country, instead of trying to find blacktail in dense brush. Colville, WA is a good area, with a choice of whitetails and mule deer.

As to your question about small game, forest grouse is legal to hunt with a rifle (believe it or not...), and they are fairly common along forest roads in Western Washington. You can hunt them with a .22, and most folks don't consider it unsporting to peg one while it is sitting. You should consider your "backstop" when shooting at grouse with a .22...if you miss, a .22 can go a long ways. I believe grouse season opens September 1 and runs to December 31, so it's an excuse to walk up and down forest roads and get rained on.

Good luck.

 

[Doyle]

I'm a huge fan of using small game to obtain the woods skill necessary for bigger game. About the only skill that small game hunting does not teach is scent control.

 

[globemaster3]

Antroxus, let me complement you on your start. You have a very well thought out plan and your initial choice of tools is excellent.

I've lived on both sides of the Cascades, but the USAF made sure my time on the wet side was spent TDY to hot, desert climates. I did a TON of hunting on the dry side. One thing that WA state is very good for is state land. You need to get with the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and get your hands on some maps. Second, a Washington Atlas and Gazeteer is a wonderful tool to give you a macro look. I took mine and using a highlighter, transposed the state land onto it so I had an all in 1 topo and BLM map. Third, once you get a handle on how to judge good terrain for hunting, knocking on doors and asking permission to hunt is a valuable tool. My luck on the East side gaining access to private land was ~98% success.

I've eaten rabbit and squirrel both and they are both fine. Some online searching can give you a ton of recipies to play with.

Not sure if you are affiliated with the military (guard/reserves), but the Ft Lewis range used to be open to hunting for DoD cardholders and the folks in Outdoor Recreation there can be a huge help.

I'd also echo the outfitter route. If I had it to start over again, the time spent with an outfitter could have made up for a couple seasons of trial and error.

Feel free to keep asking questions. It's always a pleasure bringing another member into the sport.